BELLAHOUSTON Park was definitely in the festival mood. Samba drums were playing at the entrance and some hardcore fans had been waiting at the barrier three hours before gates opened, being entertained by the soundchecks. As soon as the gates did open, everyone was straight in. To say that the process was efficient is an understatement.
The bars within, with pre-poured drinks and card-only payments, continued to make it all feel like the fast-food equivalent of concert production. That’s not a bad thing at all. DF Concerts have organized everything so that the bands are the experience. Not long queues nor waiting to be served. It’s just going to be you and the stage tonight.
If you were one of the hardcore, you were in for a wait of hours before feet hit the stage ... but opening act The Warning did a great job of making it worth the wait. “We are three sisters from Mexico!”
You can tell Muse is one of The Warning’s biggest influences, with riff driven guitar and the tightest rhythm section we’ve seen in a while. The stage presence of all three members turns the band into the frontwoman, rather than just vocalist Daniela Villarreal Velez. The musicianship and movement on the stage was of such caliber that this won't be the last time they play to a crowd of this size in Scotland.
Twin Atlantic
The choice of support act could not have been better, with Glasgow’s own Twin Atlantic following up. They proved that we collectively – as a nation – owe them an apology for not making them as huge as they deserve to be. The crowd instantly warmed just by the quartet walking onto the stage and bursting into their alt-rock-pop anthems.
Front man Sam McTrusty let us in on the secret that this is the first time he’s ever used a radio mic, then exploits his new found freedom by singing all over the stage – when his guitar-playing obligations allowed.
They announced that Muse are going to “blow your brains out” – with some choice words omitted for print here – before launching into their final two songs. The set is finished with fan favourite Heart and Soul just in time for the heavens to open and the torrential rain to start.
The main event: Muse
When I first saw Muse live back in 2001, they were three boys who kept the neighbours up with high energy, epic, explosive, rock. Big riffs, bigger drums, soaring vocals and piano that would make Bach shed a tear. Now, they’re a different animal altogether.
It’s clear that Muse have spent every second of their careers building on the best shows they can. Their performance in Glasgow was clearly the pinnacle of this ambition. A burning backdrop hung over the stage.
The front five rows were kept warm by jets of fire being shot at least twelve feet in the air, while the rest of us were blinded by a light show that could have been used to communicate with aliens. A massive masked figure loomed over the stage, casting its gaze over the crowd during songs. It’s almost not surprising that Matt Bellamy has his own jacket that’s kitted out with its own neon lighting.
Starting with the track that gave the tour its name – Will of the People – the unusually upbeat anthem gets the fans jumping. Even more impressively, it was played wearing reflective silver masks and still not dropping a note.
Bass player Christopher Wolstenholme then struts to the end of the impressive catwalk and machineguns the now iconic intro to Hysteria into the audience.
Wolstenholme later proves he’s as much of a musical draw as Matt Bellamy with his haunting mouth organ solo, played from the same spot in the middle of the crowd.
There are no misses in this set – every song gets more of a reaction as the one before it. Yes, there have been complaints that the set should have been longer ... but there would still be the same complaints if the set was six hours long. A band with a back catalogue this deep and a fan base this dedicated could never go long enough for everyone.
The noise complaints that have since come in from as far afield as Partick and Dennistoun are definitely a testament to how hard this show went. The rain only got heavier as the set went on, but that isn’t mentioned by a single person you ask. Muse stole every drop of attention.
